Marion Cotillard officially made her mark on the international acting scene with her performance as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, for which the French actress won not only an Academy Award for Best Actress, but also a BAFTA Award, César Award, and the Golden Globe Award! Her role as Tina in A Very Long Engagement also won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2005.
But these are just a few of Cotillard’s achievements… The face of Lady Dior bags, the beautiful French starlet appears to be at the top of her game. Let’s take a look into the life of this actress, model, singer-songwriter and environmentalist!
Family and Future Fame
You could say that Cotillard was destined for the stage and screen, or at the very least that her upbringing made it likely that she’d get into acting. Born in Paris, she is the daughter of Jean-Claude Cotillard, an actor, playwright and director, and Niseema Theillaud, an actress and drama teacher. One of her brothers, Guillaume, also ended up with a screenwriting and directorial career, so it’s clear that acting runs in Cotillard’s blood.
Making her Mark
While her career as an actress started with small roles on the French stage and screen, it was in the early 2000s that Hollywood started taking notice. A Very Long Engagement, written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Innocence (both 2004) cemented her reputation as a talented actress who could take on a variety of roles.
But Cotillard was still a relatively small fish in the movie-star pond and, when she was offered the role of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, there were whispers that she wasn’t ‘famous’ enough. However, her portrayal ended up winning over everyone in the industry, and landed her a stack of awards.
A Shining Star
By 2010, Cotillard’s success seemed unstoppable. The French government made her a Knight of the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” in 2010, and she starred alongside Leonardo Dicaprio in Inception later that year. In 2011 she played the fictional mistress of Picasso in Midnight in Paris, and returned to Inception director Christopher Nolan for her role in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Shortly after, her performance in Rust and Bone was to win her even more awards. She must have an entire room full of them!
Cotillard’s first leading role in an American movie was in 2013 for The Immigrant, and the following year her performance in Two Days, One Night at Cannes was rewarded with a standing ovation! Next year she’ll be starring in the highly-anticipated Assassin’s Creed…
Talent and Heart
Marion Cotillard isn’t just an extremely talented actress. She also plays the guitar, bass guitar, and keyboard – and if that weren’t enough she’s written and performed songs for movies and the stage too.
When she’s not wowing the audience with her creative skills, Cotillard is passionate about environmental protection – especially Greenpeace, for whom she has been a spokesperson for many years.
If you’re a fan of French cinema and movie stars, you’ll love a night-time bicycle tour around some of Paris’ most famous monuments that feature in so many classic films. Bring the silver screen to life!
